Saturday, February 27, 2010

Good classes today. Started Comic Book Storytelling and Cartoon Anatomy. After that was through, drove up to Silkey Rd in North Granby to deliver some artwork...Man, was it beautiful up there! Wish I brought my camera!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Client was very happy to see the final product today! (Even though she had to brave the Free Lunch Studios moat! A lot of rain = Lake Free Lunch) Tommorrow I'll work on Project: HU and maybe start putting together my next game...I did some concept sketches for it today...so we'll see...

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Granby got pounded with some heavy snow today, but that did not stop Steve Kanaras and I from visiting and giving our popular, Comic Construction lecture to a class of eager 4th graders. The kids were great and we even stuck around to have lunch with them. I probably work on some pages tonight and then head off to bed.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Was able to just about finish the coloring book job today! Awesome. Also was able to share some thumbnail tricks with my long time buddy, Matt Yancik. Tomorrow I'll do some scanning and work on the secret FLC comic project.

Just figured out how to update the Drawin' Board via my iPod so I should be able to update frequently again like the good 'ol days! (See the note below?!)

Monday, February 15, 2010

Long day at work today...but it'll be fun! One of my cartoons was published at Parcbench.com today! Cool way to start a Monday! I'll be working on a coloring book and our big FLC/FLS comic project! Jam tonight and then SOME REST! If you got the day off, enjoy it people!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Workin' from home today! Half day at Tootin' + Snow day everywhere = Matt stays home! Catching up on coloring covers, starting a coloring book job and more. I've been promising to show off some of my favorite character designs from my students, so you can see them hereat my Comicspace.I'll most likely do a couple updates today...we'll see.

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Here are the pics from the Dueling Easels event. What a great time! A person reads an excerpt of a book and we have to design a cover concept in appx 10 minutes. The originals were auctioned off to benefit Haiti.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Reporting to you from Free Lunch Studios, this is Jeff Bushey. I’m 18 years old, and I am finishing up my senior year at Granby Memorial High School. Today my school had Job Shadow Day, and I figured what would be any better than getting out of the normal average learning environment than spending the day following the works of a goofy, determined, self-producing underground comic book artist. Matt has shown me what it takes to negotiate a contract deal with his new client on his commission for “My First Sing Along Coloring Book”. Matt is having me add to his blog as to give insight on what it’s like to be apart of the Free Lunch family. I’ve been networking with Matt Ryan a good friend of mine for about 2 years now from a recommendation of an art teacher I had. During the time we’ve spent I’ve learned a lot about the comic book industry and how Matt goes about his clients and creating his comic book empire. I enjoy the countless times laughing, and enjoying the company of both Steve Kuster, and Steve Kanaras. I believe they definitely have the potential and talent to be a successful business venture. We are also in the process of getting cubicles in the office for a more productive environment. I was able to see the products his client had made featuring the works of Matt Ryan, and was able to show Matt a tattoo I recently got featuring artwork that I designed myself. Matt Ryan, and the Free Lunch crew have shown me that anything is possible when you put your mind to it. We’ve also enjoyed watching a funny DVD during lunch, and had a great time. This has taught me that you can have fun while you work, and you should have fun with the career path you choose. The knowledge I have gotten from this experience is going to follow me for years to come, and I know that Matt is going to be there for me every step of the way. I appreciate this adventure, and I hope that it never ends.

Wow. Pretty cool having Jeff here all day. We had a busy day in here too. Jeff saw a lot and he was able to take part in a lot. We analyzed a contract, went over some course descriptions, met with a client, drew up a business letter, helped our contractor and even drew a little. In a way, I kind of see today as the end of or graduation from the mentor/mentee relationship we had. He started working with me back when he was a sophomore and I was still working out of my house. The school bus would drop him off during the school day for about an hour every week. I would wait to do any drawing until he got there on those days (I did not want to bore him with the business stuff). It's been a real honor to see how much he's grown over the years. No matter which career he chooses, he's going to be great. Best of luck to you Jeff and we'll see you soon!

Matt C Ryan is a freelance cartoonist and comic book artist whose work spans from the comics industry to package design and advertising.

Since first being published with a pinup in an issue of Batton Lash's "Wolff and Byrd, Counselors of the Macabre" from Exhibit A Press, Matt has hit the ground running. He is creator and artist on the comic, BIGGER, published by Free Lunch Comics. Additional stories, characters, and sequential art appear in other titles from Free Lunch Comics as well as numerous other comics from Crazy Mama Studios, Guild Works Productions, Radbu Productions, and Blindwolf Studios. His larger body of work includes cartoons for a number of magazine ads and package and character designs for such clients as Dornenburg Design and Mark Lewis Creative Arts.

Matt has already been honored and recognized by a number of professional organizations. Matt was a member of the Farmington Valley Arts Center faculty for seven years and was named Master Teaching Artist by the Greater Hartford Arts Council. Shortly after joining the Comic Book Artists Guild, he was nominated head of the Connecticut branch and held that position until he stepped down in 2008. He remained a member until early 2009. In April 2008 at the New York ComicCon, he received the first-ever CAG award for production excellence. At the 2009 New York Comic Con CAG Awards, Matt received the Best Cartoonist and Best Workshop awards. Also, he was juried into the Granby Artists Association, a network of fine artists that partake in galleries, fundraisers, and mentoring activities. In 2011, he received the honors of President of the Granby Artists Association and the Head of the New England Chapter of the Comic Book Artists Guild.

Matt is happily married to the love of his life, Leigh Ann and they are parents to their beautiful girls, Ava and Alaina.